High School Sports

WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley High athletic director Joe Manfre is entering his second season as head coach of the football team.  When he took over the program, the process of having to coach in an abbreviated Covid-19 season was still a whirlwind to him.  Manfre said this season...

Aptos freshman Kiana Safari solidified her spot as the league’s top player following a dominant performance at this week’s Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League Girls Tennis Championships tournament in Aptos. The young Mariners standout beat fellow teammate senior Aviana Andrews 6-0, 6-1 to claim the...

If someone would’ve told Pajaro Valley High senior Monique Ayala back in November they’d be Pacific Coast Athletic League champions come the end of the winter campaign, she’d probably still be laughing till this day.  The Grizzly team captain was guffawing after last week’s regular...

The hot streakin’ Aptos boys’ soccer team clinched its second consecutive Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League crown following a 3-0 win over Soquel on Wednesday night.  Senior Nami Banks had one goal and one assist for the Mariners, who closed out the regular season with...

And so the struggle continues for Aptos following yet another early exit in the Central Coast Section girls soccer playoffs this past weekend. The top seeded Mariners were stunned in a 2-0 loss to No. 8 Homestead in the Division II quarterfinals Feb. 22, cutting...

The season is still very young, yet one can’t help to notice that Watsonville is playing some formidable basketball coming out of the gate to begin the 2024-25 winter campaign. Junior guard Max Aceves had a team-best 16 points for the Wildcatz in a 71-52...

Pajaro Valley’s football team couldn’t catch a break in last week’s league opener even when momentum seemed to be riding their way the entire afternoon. As a result, the Grizzlies fell to Santa Cruz, 44-19, in the teams’ Pacific Coast Athletic League Santa Lucia Division...

APTOS—Aptos High incoming junior Bella Garvey began dancing ballet when she was just 3 years old.  Since then, she’s continued to dance and slowly became part of what she calls her other family. “I really like the performing aspect of it, just getting to perform in...

WATSONVILLE—St. Francis High junior Sam Braun and his teammates had to wait an extra week to kick off their run in the Central Coast Section playoffs.  It probably felt just as long for the No. 4 seeded Sharks to close out Tuesday night’s 62-59 overtime...

WATSONVILLE—Aptos High junior Janie Houser was the No. 5 seed going into the 126-pound weight class bracket at last week’s Central Coast Section wrestling finals.  She knew there had to be some upsets in order for her to have any chance of qualifying for the...